Roll mounting for sugar mill



April 7, 1964 -r. M. HAMILL 3,127,331

ROLL MOUNTING FOR SUGAR MILL Filed June 0, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor:

FIG. 2 Thomas M. Hamill his Attorney A nl 7, 1964 T. M. HAMILL 3,127,831

ROLL MOUNTING FOR SUGAR MILL Filed June 20, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In v e n t o r 1 FIG. 4 Thomas M. Hamill his Attorney A ril 7, 1964 1-. M. HAMILL ROLL MOUNTING FOR SUGAR MILL Filed June 20, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I '36 v 40 4 4s 27 A %V:i;//Illlllllllllllll 4 g I 4/ I l8 1 II -44 II :I II I 6 I" H C: I

II II II II I II u I .1 "'1' WWW/[ill]? .7 I ,7

FIG. 6 FIG.

I T --F I, .11 I I I I m I I I I I II: I I I I I 42 :I I I I II i I ll I II I I I II I I I II 5 l I I I Z F593; L'

In v e n I o r:

. Thomas Hamill his Aflorney Aprll 7, 1964 T. M HAMILL 3,127,831

ROLL MOUNTING FOR SUGAR MILL Filed June 20, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 9

9 FIG. 11

Inve n1or:

F 10 Thomas M. Hamill:

his Attorney United States Patent Office 3,127,831 Patented Apr. 7; 1964 3,127,831 ROLL MGUNTING FOR SUGAR MILL Thomas M. Hamill, Kailua, Hawaii, assignor to Honoiuiu Iron Works Company, Honolulu, Hawaii, a corporation of Hawaii Filed June 20, 1962, Ser. No. 203,875 11 Claims. (Cl. 190-168) This invention relates generally to sugar mills and more particularly to mountings for the rolls of such mills.

Although sugar mills and rolling mills for rolling sheet or plate press the material fed to them between rolls, the purposes of these types of mills differ radically. That of a sugar mill is to express juice by applying pressure as uniformly as possible, despite unavoidable variations in the initial density of the sugar cane and without regard to physical characteristics of the discharged cane mat other than its juice content. On the contrary, it is the physical characteristics and particularly the dimensions of the discharge solid with which a rolling mill is wholly concerned and which can only be controlled if the rolls of the mill are maintained in alignment. Consistent with its purpose, a sugar mill not only can accept some misalignment of its rolls, but, if it is to apply substantially uniform pressure to the heterogeneous density cane, its pressure roll should be capable of misaligning itself with the back-up roll or rolls. Nonetheless, sugar mills as heretofore constructed have not been adapted to accommodate misalignment of their rolls in the mountings therefor, with the result that any misalignment due to manufacturing tolerances or in the operation of the mill has been unacceptable or, if present, a source of rapid wear and malfunctioning.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved sugar mill wherein the rolls are so mounted as to accommodate their misalignment.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a sugar mill an improved roll mounting whereby a bearing journaling a roll neck is rendered self-aligning and enabled to angle universally relative to its seat to accommodate misalignment of the roll.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved sugar mill wherein, by taking the end thrust of the rolls through the turnbeam and providing for universal angling of the bearings journaling the roll necks relative to their seats, the bearings are relieved of both end thrust and transverse forces tending to bind the rolls and may be sleeve or roller or other suitable anti-friction bearings.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a rolling mill an improved roll mounting whereby the bearings journaling the roll necks are enabled to angle universally relative to their seats without detriment to adjustment of the clearance between or installation and removal of the rolls.

Oher objects and advantages will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a sugar mill incorporating the roll mountings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the mill of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the mill of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the top roll assembly removed from the mill and showing the roll misaligned with its seats in the housings;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional vie-w on an enlarged scale, taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken along lines 66 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary elevational View, taken from the end of the shaft shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is an isometric view on the scale of FIG- URE 5 of a chair of a mounting for a side roll;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the scale of FIGURE 8 showing the relation between the chair of FIGURE 8 and the cooperating bearing with the associated roll in alignment;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary View on the section of FIGURE 9 but with the associated roll in horizontal misalignment; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary view on the section of FIGURE 9 but with the associated roll in vertical misalignment.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the sugar mill to which the improved roll mountings of the present invention have been applied, for purposes of illustration, is a three-roll mill. As in the conventional three-roll sugar mill, the top roll 1 of the illustrated mill serves as the pressure roll to the ends of which pressure is applied hydraulically by rams 2 and which crushes the cane against a pair of side or back-up rolls, one 3, known as the cane roll, at the front or feed end of the mill and the other 4, known as the bagasse roll, at the mills rear or discharge end.

For mounting the top and side rolls 1, 3 and 4, as well as the rams Z, the mill has a frame 5 formed of a pair of laterally spaced housings or side frames 6, each having top and side recesses 7 and 8, respectively, in which the roll mountings are received. As in the usual mill, the housings 6 surmount bedplates 9. However, instead of being cast and having their top and side'opening recesses normally closed by top and side caps, the illustrated housings 6 are of cast-weld construction and their top and side recesses 7 and 3 are permanently closed, respectively, at the top and sides. Connected at the top by crossbeams it} and at their ends to the bedplates 9 by locking pins 1-1, each of the housings 6, below its header 12 in which its ram 2 is mounted, has spaced legs 13 which, with its header and the related bedplate, contain the several recesses 7 and 8, the recesses being separated from each other by an upright 14 upstanding from the bedplate between the legs. With this construction, access to the several recesses is had by unpinning and lifting the housings from the bedplates.

In the illustrated mill, the turnbeam 15, carrying the turnplate 16 for turning or directing the cane from the cane roll 3 to the bagasse roll 4, is pivotally mounted on the bedplates 9. Extending upwardly from the bedplates between the uprights 14, the turnbeam 15 is adjustably positioned by turnbeam levers 17 anchored to the housings 6.

The shaft 18 of the top roll 1, as well as those 19 of the side rolls 3 and 4, project or extend through the housings 6 and, outwardly or outside of one of the housings, have keyed to them crownwheels 20 by which they are drivably connected. With the shafts 18 and 1'9 so connected, two of the rolls, here the side rolls 3 and 4, can be driven off the third, here the top roll 1, the latter for the purpose having a square end 2 1 beyond its crownwheel 20 for connection by a suitable coupling (not shown) to a suitable driving source (not shown). In addition to being drivably connected through their shafts 18 and '19 and crownwheels Zii, the rolls 1, 3 and 4 are connected against relative axial movement, preferably by providing the top roll with end flanges 22 which embrace or straddle the ends of the side rolls and in turn are straddled or embraced by juice collars 23 on the shafts of the side rolls. With the turnplate do also embraced by the end flanges 22 on the top roll and limited in movement axially of the rolls 1, 3 and 4 or laterally of the housings 8 by the backing for the turnbeam afforded by the uprights, any end thrust on the shafts 18 and 19 is transmitted to the frame 5 of the mill through the turnpl ate and turnbeam.

In the operation of the mill, the sugar cane is initially fed and crushed between the top roll 1 and the cane roll 3 and further crushed between the top roll and the bagasse roll 4, the expressed juice in either case flowing into the sump 24 below the rolls from which it is subsequently withdrawn for further processing. As previously pointed out, the concern in such operation is not with the thickness of the discharged solid or bagasse but with the pressure applied to the cane and some misalignment, particularly of the pressure roll in adjusting to the heterogeneous or non-uniform density of the cane, is both acceptable and desirable. Some leeway in the alignment of both the pressure roll and the back-up rolls also is desirable to allow for manufacturing tolerances. Even so, it has heretofore been the practice either to provide for no relative angling between the bearings journaling the roll necks and the housings or actually to lock the bearings against such relative angling and to attempt to maintain the rolls in alignment with their axes parallel to each other and normal or perpendicular to the housings. With the bearings and housings locked against relative angling, alignment of the rolls is unavoidable if the bearings are closed and a practical necessity, even if open semi-cylindrical bearings are used, to prevent scoring of the roll necks or bearings on relative canting.

As opposed to previous sugar mills, the mill of this in- 'vention has as a principal feature roll mountings which, by permitting limited relative angling between the bearings and their seats in the housings, render the bearings selfaligning. Thus, misalignment of the rolls either due to manufacturing tolerances or in operation is acceptable in the mill without detriment to its operation and the bearings, whether sleeve, fixed roller or other anti-friction bearings, can be closed and sealed against loss of lubricant and entrance of foreign matter.

Two embodiments of the improved mountings are shown in the drawings, one applied to the top roll 1 and the other to the side rolls 3 and 4. However, in practice, all of the mountings of a particular mill will ordinarily be of one form. In the embodiment or form shown for the top roll in FIGURES 1, 5 and 6, the mounting 25 for the roll neck or journal 26 on the shaft 18 beyond each end of the top roll 1 includes a bearing 27 of the preferred closed, sealed type receiving and journaling the roll neck and a chair, cradle or saddle 28 interposed between the bearing and the adjoining housing 6. Accommodated or received and riding or sliding in the top recess 7 in the housing 6, the chair 28 is disposed below and engaged by the plunger 29 of the related ram 2, preferably through a bearing pad 30 having a spherical interface 31 with the plunger end, for enabling the force of the ram to be applied over an extended area to the chair regardless of relative angling therebetween. Conveniently having a flat upper face 32 engaging a correspondingly fiat underface 33 of the pad 30, the chair is guided in its vertical movement in the top recess 7 by vertically extending parallel tongues 34 formed on the housing 6 at opposite sides of the recess and received in grooves, slots or guideways 35 in the corresponding sides of the chair.

For seating or receiving and partly encircling the bearing 27, the chair 28 is generally of inverted U-shape and has a downwardly opening, generally semi-cylindrical aperture or opening 36 having intermediate and preferably substantially midway between its sides an instanding, arcuately concave, central rib or flange 37 extending about and coterminous with the aperture and the chair and provided with a spherically concave inner face or surface 38. Suitably sealed against leakage of lubricant and entrance of foreign matter, the bearing 27 may be a roller bearing or, as in the disclosed embodiment, a sleeve bearing having a liner 39 of brass or like suitable bearing material within its casing or housing 40, the liner for the illustrated tapered roll neck 26 rotatably engaging a wedge-shaped filler or wear plate 41 encircling the roll neck and rotating with the shaft 18. Intermediate and preferably substantially midway between its ends, the casing 40 has a spherically convex outer surface or face 42 partially encircling or surrounding the casing and concentric with and engaging the spherically concave face 38 in the aperture 36 in the chair 28. Thus having in effect a ball and socket interfit, joint or connection with the chair 28 by virtue of the cooperating surfaces 38 and 42, the bearing 27 is enabled to angle universally relative to the chair.

For limiting both the universal angling and relative rotation of the bearing 27 and the chair 28, the casing 40 of the bearing has on its periphery 43 at one and preferably at each side of its spherically convex bearing surface 42 a pair of radially outstanding circumferentially spaced substantially diametrically 0r oppositely disposed wings or cars 44 fitting in correspondingly spaced sockets 45 in the chair at the corresponding side of the latters rib 37 and embracing an abutment or shoulder 46 on the chair intermediate the sockets. With the preferred two pairs of wings 44 on the casing 4t), the adjoining wings of the pairs will embrace the rib 37 on the chair and the ribs of each pair, by embracing and being restrained in rotative movement by the shoulder 46 at that side of the rib, will effectively lock or hold the bearing against rotation relative to the chair. Normally spaced and engaging only at the limits of relative angling of the bearing and the chair, the confronting peripheral surfaces on the casing 45) and the chair 28 at the sides of the interfitting spherical surfaces 355 and 42 may be cylindrical or of other suitable configuration. As will be noted from FIGURE 1 in which the top roll 1 is shown in its bottom or lowermost position, the head 47 of the upright 14 in the illustrated mill erves as a stop for limiting the downward movement of the chair 28 and of the bearing 27 relative thereto by engagement with the chair and the wings 44 at opposite sides of the shaft 18.

The common center of the interfitting spherical surfaces 38 and 42 on the casing 40 of the bearing 27 and the chair 23 may be at the center of the hearing or other suitable point. However, in providing a ball and socket connection, these interfitting surfaces permit relative universal angling but prevent relative axial movement between the bearing and the chair. On the other hand, the shaft 18, in misaligning or angling relative to the housings 6, will vary its length therebetween and must be capable of axial movement relative thereto. Consequently, the mounting 25 must accommodate such axial movement and elsewhere than between the bearing and the chair. With the illustrated sleeve bearing in which the filler at the driven end of the shaft is locked against axial movement relative to the shaft by a sleeve or annular spacer interposed between the filler and the related crownwheel 20, the necessary axial movement of the shaft relative to the housings 6 might be accommodated within the bearing. However, as in the illustrated embodiment, it will ordinarily be preferred to accommodate the relative axial movement of the shaft by providing for lateral or side play in the fit between the tongues 34 on the housing at the sides of the top aperture 7 and the grooves 35 at the sides of the chair and consequent lateral play between the chair and the housing.

In the alternative embodiment or form shown for the mountings 49 of the side rolls 3 and 4 in FIGURES l and 8-11, each mounting also includes a preferably closed, sealed sleeve, fixed roller or other suitable bearing 50 and a chair 51 in which the bearing seats, and the bearing and chair are angleable universally relative to each other, while the chair is slidable on the housing substantially normal to or radially or transversely of the axis of the shaft 1? of the roll. In this form, as well, the chair has an arcuately concave central rib 52 seating or engaging an arcuately convex peripheral surface 53 on the casing 54 of the bearing and relative rotation between the bearing and the chair is prevented by one and preferably two pairs of wings 55 similar in their arrangement and construction to the wings 44 on the bearing 27 for the top roll. However, as opposed to the top roll chairs 28, the chairs 51 for the side rolls, while also partly encircling the related bearings, are generally of L- rather than U- shape and the circumferential spacing of the wings 55 on each side roll bearing is less, since in this case the chair needonly seat the bearing about the quadrant opposite the top roll rather than about the quadrant facing both side rolls, as must the chair of the top roll. Each of the side roll chairs is slidable horizontally in one of the side recesses 8 and adjustable in position by a jackscrew 56 lockable in any of a plurality of positions and acting on an outer side of the chair in opposition to an hydraulically actuated piston or like suitable means 57 acting against the chairs inner side and the chair is guided in its movement in the recess by a tongue 58 formed on or fixed to the bedplate 9 and received and slidable in a groove or guideway 59 in the underside of the chair.

Other than those occasioned by the rolls to which they have been applied, the differences between the illustrated mountings 25 and 49 for the top and side rolls 1, 3, and 4 resides primarily in the configurations of the interfitting or engaging surfaces on the casing 54- of the bearing 56 and the rib 52 of the chair 51. As opposed to the ball and socket connection responsible for the relative universal angling in the mounting 25 applied to the top roll 1, each side roll mounting derives the relative universal angling between its bearing 54) and chair 51 from a rocking relation or interfit between the inner face or surface 6% on the rib 52 of the chair and the cooperating central surface or face 53 on the casing 54 of the bearing. Thus, one of these surfaces, here that 6i) on the rib, is a rocker surface, arcuately convex in cross-section, while the cooperating surface, here that 53 on the casing, in crosssection may be arcuately convex, flat or, if of greater radius than the surface on the rib, even arcuately concave.

Although not concentric, the inner, lengthwise arcuately concave rocker face or surface 69 of the rib 52 and the cooperating cylindrically or otherwise suitably configured arcuately convex surface 53 on the bearing 59 are coaxial and substantially coradial or of equal radius, so as to enable line contact between the surfaces to be maintained over the range of relative universal angling of the bearing 5*!) and chair 51. Since, with a line rather than a surface interfit between the engaging surfaces, the bearing of this embodiment is axially shiftable relative to the chair as well as the shaft, the axial play or movement between the shaft 19 and each housing 6 required to accommodate misalignment of the related roll, if that between the bearing and the shaft is insufiicient, may be provided between the rib 52 and the wings 55 embracing it, eliminating the need for any lateral play between the tongue 58 and the groove 5?. Accordingly, while both of the mountings 25 and 49 provide for relative universal angling between the bearing 27 or St) and the chair 23 or 51, they do differ in that the axial movement of the shaft 18 or 19, relative to the housing 6 incident to misalignment, is accommodated in the mounting 25 between the chair 28 and the housing and in the second mounting 49 between the bearing 50 and the chair 51, with advantage in the first over the second that the surface contact between the engaging surfaces during universal angling elii inates brinelling or hammering of the corners of the rib.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved mounting for the rolls of a sugar mill by which the mill is enabled to operate satisfactorily despite misalignment of one or another of its rolls either due to manufacturing tolerances or in the application of the desired uniform pressure by the pressure roll. It should be undrestood that the described and disclosed embodiment are merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended 6 to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing, and cooperating surfaces on said bearing and chair for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing.

2. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing, cooperating surfaces on said bearing and chair for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing, and interfitting means on said bearing and chair for limiting relative rotation therebetween.

3. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing, cooperating surfaces on said bearing and chair for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing, and interfitting means on said bearing and chair for limting relative rotation therebetween, said chair being shiftable axially of said shaft relative to one of said bearing and housing.

4. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing, tongue-and-groove means connecting said chair to said housing, and cooperating surfaces on said bearing and chair for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing.

5. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll and having a casing, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing, tongue-and-groove means connecting said chair to said housing, rib means on said chair and partly encircling said casing of said bearing, cooperating surfaces on said rib means and casing for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing, and means for limiting rotation of said bearing relative to said chair.

6. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounited therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll and having a casing, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing, tongue-and-groove means connecting said chair to said housing, rib means on said chair and partly encircling said casing of said bearing, interfitting spherical surfaces on said rib means and casing for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing, and means for limiting rotation of said bearing relative to said chair.

7. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll and having a casing, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing, tongue and groove means connecting said chair to said housing for longitudinal sliding and limited lateral movement therebetween, rib means on said chair and partly encircling said casing of said bearing, interfitting spherical surfaces on said rib means and casing for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing, and means for limiting rotation of said bearing relative to said chair.

8. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a sealed bearing journaling a shaft of a roll and having a casing, a chair seated in a recess in one of said housings and partly encircling said bearing, a rib on said chair intermediate sides thereof and having an inner surface angleably engaging a surface on a periphery of said casing of said bearing for relative universal angling between said bearing and chair, means permitting limited axial movement of said shaft relative to said housing, and means for limiting rotation of said bearing relative to said chair.

9. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a sealed bearing journaling a shaft of a roll and having a casing, a chair seated in a recess in one of said housings and partly encircling said bearing, a rib on said chair intermediate sides thereof and having an inner surface angleably engaging a surface on a periphery of said casing of said bearing for relative universal angling between bearing and chair, means permitting limited movement axially of said shaft between said chair and one of said bearing and housing, and means for limiting rotation of said bearing relative to said chair.

10. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a sealed bearing journaling a shaft of a roll and having a casing, a chair seated in a recess in one of said housings and partly en- 3 circling said bearing, a rib on said chair intermediate sides thereof and having an inner rocker surface in line contact with a peripheral surface on said casing of said bearing, abutment means on said chair at sides and intermediate ends of said rib, and wing means on said bearing and embracing said rib and abutment means on said chair for limiting rotation and permitting limited angling and axial movement of said bearing relative to said chair.

11. In a sugar mill having spaced recessed housings and pressure and back-up rolls mounted therein, mountings for said rolls each comprising a bearing on a shaft of a roll, a chair slidable in a recess in a housing for seating said bearing and shiftable axially of said shaft relative to one of said bearing and housing, cooperating surfaces on said bearing and chair for enabling said bearing to angle universally relative to said chair and therethrough to said housing, interfitting means on said bearing and chair for limiting relative rotation therebetween, and means including a turnbeam for transmitting end thrust from said rolls to said housings and relieving said bearings therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,372,006 De Bruin Mar. 22, 1921 1,494,357 Hidalgo May 20, 1924- 1,899,202 Kopke et al Feb. 28, 1933 2,513,481 Hegenbarth July 4, 1950 

1. IN A SUGAR MILL HAVING SPACED RECESSED HOUSINGS AND PRESSURE AND BACK-UP ROLLS MOUNTED THEREIN, MOUNTINGS FOR SAID ROLLS EACH COMPRISING A BEARING ON A SHAFT OF A ROLL, A CHAIR SLIDABLE IN A RECESS IN A HOUSING FOR SEATING SAID BEARING, AND COOPERATING SURFACES ON SAID BEARING AND CHAIR FOR ENABLING SAID BEARING TO ANGLE UNIVERSALLY RELATIVE TO SAID CHAIR AND THERETHROUGH TO SAID HOUSING. 